And then? Then there's "Breaking Dawn," the last two parts of the "Twilight" saga. In the vampire drama, Anderson plays Alistair, a particularly complex vampire who intercedes for the Cullens. The actor read the books, saw the early films and "tried to absorb as much as I could" but knew he'd never be as savvy about the character as some of the popular books' fans.

No sweat. "It's nice to play against the grain of the film," Anderson says. "He can do what he wants because he is who he is."

The 29-year-old British-born actor, however, didn't realize the devotion of "Twilight's" fan base.

"Breaking Dawn, Part II" (slated for release in the fall) came with such high financial stakes "tension was ripe," Anderson says. "There's not a lot of rehearsal. So before a scene with Kristen (Stewart) I had to gun up the character from the trailer to the stage. It's the first time you see this guy come to life. But until you get the gear on, you're not quite sure what he's going to be."

Because Alistair pops up "and is rather aloof," Anderson found he could "take a little bit of literary license with him."